Top of her class

Growing up, Joy Zhang wasn’t sure what she dreamed of being.

The thoughts changed constantly. At one point, the quiet little girl hoped to be a firefighter. She figured if everyone else wanted to be one, there had to be something there. As she graduates as the valedictorian of Carlmont High School today, Zhang still has little certainty of where she hopes to go in life. Zhang is sure of one thing — math and science will get her there.

The petite 18-year-old from Belmont moved quite a bit when younger. She was born in Indiana. The family moved to Boston while her mom, Shuai, worked on her doctorate at Harvard University. The Zhangs moved from there to Sunnyvale.

The family began living in Belmont when Zhang was in second grade. She began taking classes at Sandpiper Elementary. While in elementary school, Zhang began taking violin and piano classes — instruments she continues to play today. Piano was introduced through a friend. Violin was offered on campus, and Zhang took up the opportunity.

Playing continued while Zhang attended Ralston Middle School and Carlmont. During her freshman year, Zhang began playing with the Peninsula Youth Orchestra — which she continued to do through high school. Despite her experience, Zhang did not play with any Carlmont groups. She did, however, begin mentoring elementary students during her sophomore year. For two years, Zhang worked twice a week with children at Central and Nesbit elementaries. Volunteering was a simple decision for Zhang who enjoys both children and violins. The program put the two together.

Working with children didn’t stop there for Zhang who also volunteers with her mom once a week teaching art at Sandpiper Elementary. The position allows Zhang to work with her youngest brother Sam, 8.

Her activities do not revolve around children. During her freshman year, Zhang began a Go club. Go — a strategic Chinese board game — is a popular game for Zhang’s family. She wanted to share that interest with others.

Zhang’s interest led to her competing, mostly locally, in the game. Last summer she ranked eighth place internationally among females under 18 while playing the game at a competition in Hong Kong. The victory was a surprise for the teen.

She participated in mock trail during her sophomore and junior years. The experience improved Zhang’s public speaking skills, she said.

Math is definitely one of Zhang’s strong suits. She participated in the United States Math Olympiad this year — a prestigious annual high school math competition. Getting to that point required Zhang to take some of the hardest math tests she’s ever taken.

Zhang also was awarded the Rensselaer Medal — an award for high school juniors who have distinguished themselves in math and science.

Science is also an interest for Zhang. Over the summer, Zhang participated in an internship at Stanford’s Carnegie Institution department of plant biology. The topic was just of interest to her. This summer she’ll continue working in the field during an internship at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. The school happens to be where Zhang will be attending classes in the fall. She was one of a handful of students offered a full-ride scholarship to the Southern California school.

Zhang is not sure what she’ll major in, or the overall goal. She does, however, plan to study applied math and potentially science with the goal of combining the two topics.

Moving away brings up some fears for Zhang. Her brothers — Tony, 14, and Sam — are her favorite; a statement which becomes more true by witnessing the smile that overcomes her face when mentioning the two. Her goal is to remain close with them while away.

The Carlmont graduation is 10 a.m. Friday, June 6 on campus, 1400 Alameda de las Pulgas, Belmont.

Heather Murtagh can be reached by e-mail: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105.